High Wind and Strong Wind in Ohio, December 11, 2021

Name: High Wind and Strong Wind in Ohio, December 11, 2021
Start: 2021-12-11T10:00
End: 2021-12-11T17:00
Location: Ohio

December 11, 2021 · NWS IWX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS IWX wrote it up.

Wind gusts of 50 mph or more were common beginning before sunrise on December 11 as a cold front moved through and an area of low pressure deepened as it moved from Illinois through Michigan. Over land, the greatest reported wind speed was 61 mph at both Lima, OH and Fort Wayne. Over Lake Michigan, a wind gusts of 66 mph was observed at the Michigan City buoy. This wind resulted in numerous power outages due to downed trees, branches, and power lines.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 11, 6:51 AM EST, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 11, 6:51 AM EST, 3 hours 9 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
651 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 333 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

Strong west winds gusting up to 55 mph today will cause difficult
driving conditions, especially on north to south roads. Some
lingering rain showers will mix with and may change to all snow
this afternoon as much colder air filters into the region. Any
precipitation comes to an end tonight and it remains dry through
Tuesday. The cold air will be short-lived as highs on Sunday will
be in the 40s. A warming trend then pushes temperatures into the
upper 50s to lower 60s by Wednesday.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(Today and Tonight)
Issued at 322 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

Low-topped quasi-linear convective system continues eastward sweep
around 50 knots with individual elements tracking northeast at near
70 knots. Northern extent of surface dewpoints upper 50s/near 60F
continues to pinch off allowing cold pool balance to continue falter
as outflow dominance increases. Still, intense low level kinematics
still capable of producing brief gusts via downdraft momentum
transfer near 40 knots far eastern CWA through early morning
hours/clearing southeast CWA shortly, by 09 UTC.

Main focus on post frontal wind event today with Wind Advisory
continuing. Intense cross-frontal synoptic isallobaric couplet on
order of 18mb/3 hours and long duration 5-7mb/3 hour rises over CWA
between maxima with isolated/scattered wind advisory criteria gusts
through about 20 UTC, well after initial cold air advection induced
advisory level gusts, immediately post frontal. Front timing rapidly
eastward near KBEH at 12 UTC clearing eastern CWA by about 15 UTC.
Temperatures plummet into the middle/upper 30s about 3 hours post
frontal. Post frontal deformation/wraparound moisture arriving
midday over northwest CWA with snow showers expected. Fortunately
still warm ground and temperatures remain at or above freezing
during daytime hours should preclude any compounding winter weather
hazards.

&&

.LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday)
Issued at 322 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

Little change afforded from blended model solution. Eastern CONUS
ridging supports mild period with temperatures gradually warming
from the 40s Sunday to upper 50s/lower 60s by Wednesday. As
piecemeal energy ejects from Western CONUS trough, look for a
chance of showers to return Wed/Thu. Frontal passage Thursday with
a brief cooldown, but no strong cold air intrusion foreseen.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Sunday Morning)
Issued at 646 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

A strong cold front was racing across Lake Michigan and just
passed VPZ at this time. MDW wind gusts to 56 kts behind the
front, so have raised winds at SBN. The surface low was over Lake
Michigan and will continue to move northeast. Winds will increase
as the low deepens and moves across Lower Michigan. Winds will
shift more to the west as the front moves across the area. Cloud
cover will decrease and winds will diminish by this evening. A
large post-frontal SC MVFR deck was spreading rapidly east and
will be over northern Indiana for several hours.

&&

.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...Wind Advisory until 5 PM EST /4 PM CST/ this afternoon for
     INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034.

MI...Wind Advisory until 5 PM EST this afternoon for MIZ077>081.

OH...Wind Advisory until 5 PM EST this afternoon for OHZ001-002-004-
     005-015-016-024-025.

LM...Gale Warning until 7 PM EST this evening for LMZ043-046.

&&

SYNOPSIS...Marsili/Steinwedel
SHORT TERM...Murphy
LONG TERM...Murphy
AVIATION...Skipper

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 11, 5:00 AM EST, 5 hours before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
500 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-
015-016-024-025-121030-
La Porte-St. Joseph-Elkhart-Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-Starke-
Pulaski-Marshall-Fulton-Kosciusko-Whitley-Allen-White-Cass-Miami-
Wabash-Huntington-Wells-Adams-Grant-Blackford-Jay-Berrien-Branch-
Hillsdale-Williams-Defiance-Henry-Paulding-Putnam-Van Wert-
500 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021 /400 AM CST Sat Dec 11 2021/

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EST /4 PM CST/ THIS
AFTERNOON...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana, southwest
Michigan and northwest Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Wind Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report wind gusts of 45 mph or greater and
any observed wind damage.

LMZ043-046-121030-
New Buffalo MI to St Joseph MI-Michigan City IN to New Buffalo MI-
500 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the nearshore waters of
southeastern Lake Michigan.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Gale Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Conditions will be hazardous to small craft Sunday and Sunday night.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:35 AM EST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
935 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0932 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG CENTREVILLE             41.92N 85.53W
12/11/2021                   ST. JOSEPH         MI   AMATEUR RADIO

            POWER LINES, TREES, AND BRANCHES DOWN IN
            SEVERAL AREAS OF THE COUNTY, INCLUDING COLON
            AND MENDON. ONGOING AT THIS TIME.

&&

BROWN

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:39 AM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
939 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1258 AM     TSTM WND DMG     1 ESE BIG BARBEE LAKE   41.28N 85.69W
12/11/2021                   KOSCIUSKO          IN   NWS EMPLOYEE

            EVIDENCE OF A TREE DOWNED ACROSS BOTH LANES
            OF SR 13 FROM EARLY MORNING STORMS. TIME
            ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

&&

BROWN

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:42 AM EST, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
942 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0859 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 WNW GOSHEN            41.59N 85.88W
12/11/2021  M59 MPH          ELKHART            IN   COCORAHS

            VIA TWITTER.

&&

BROWN

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:43 AM EST, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
943 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0842 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 WNW SOUTH BEND        41.70N 86.32W
12/11/2021  M59 MPH          ST. JOSEPH         IN   ASOS

&&

TH

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:46 AM EST, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
946 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0918 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 SSW FRONTIER          41.71N 84.65W
12/11/2021  M60 MPH          HILLSDALE          MI   MESONET

            MESONET STATION FW8073 CAMDEN.

0931 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 WSW WATERFORD         41.66N 86.89W
12/11/2021  M59 MPH          LA PORTE           IN   MESONET

            MESONET STATION IN002 2.7 W WATERFORD
            (INDOT).

0739 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W ARGOS               41.24N 86.26W
12/11/2021  M51 MPH          MARSHALL           IN   MESONET

            MESONET STATION IN004 2.6 NW ARGOS (INDOT).

0935 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNE PLYMOUTH          41.37N 86.30W
12/11/2021  M51 MPH          MARSHALL           IN   AWOS

            AWOS STATION KC65 PLYMOUTH SITE KC65.

0755 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SSW LA PORTE          41.57N 86.73W
12/11/2021  M51 MPH          LA PORTE           IN   AWOS

            AWOS STATION KPPO LA PORTE.

0920 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E WALLEN              41.17N 85.09W
12/11/2021  M51 MPH          ALLEN              IN   MESONET

            MESONET STATION IN003 2.9 S WALLEN (INDOT).

&&

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:47 AM EST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
947 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0944 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 NE GRISSOM AFB        40.68N 86.13W
12/11/2021                   MIAMI              IN   PUBLIC

            POWER LINES DOWN IN THE AREA OF US 31 AND IN
            SR 218. VIA FACEBOOK. EXACT TIME UNKNOWN.
            KGUS BEGAN GUSTING TO 46 MPH AT 722 AM.

&&

BROWN

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 strong wind, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Allen

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Allen forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 40.772, -84.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lima ASOS reported a 61 mph wind gust during the 12 PM hour. A 46 KT wind gust was first observed during the 10 AM hour. Frequent gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest were observed in the area through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

High Wind, Fulton

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.602, -84.130 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wauseon AWOS reported a 60 mph wind gust during the 1 PM hour. A 46 KT wind gust was first observed during the 10 AM hour. Frequent gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest were observed in the area through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

High Wind, Defiance

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Defiance forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.324, -84.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Defiance ASOS reported a 59 mph wind gust during the 10 AM hour. A 45 KT wind gust was first observed during the 10 AM hour. Frequent gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest were observed in the area through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

Strong Wind, Williams

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Williams forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.560, -84.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearby ASOS and AWOS reported gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

Strong Wind, Henry

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Henry forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.334, -84.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearby ASOS and AWOS reported gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

Strong Wind, Paulding

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Paulding forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.117, -84.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearby ASOS and AWOS reported gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

Strong Wind, Putnam

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Putnam forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.022, -84.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearby ASOS and AWOS reported gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

Strong Wind, Van Wert

When: December 11, 10:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Van Wert forecast zone
Measured: 43 kt (49 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.855, -84.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two CWOP stations reported 50 mph wind gusts during the 11 AM and 12 PM hour. Nearby ASOS and AWOS reported gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest through the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, December 2021

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 988836, 988837, 988838, 988839, 988840, 988841, 988842, 988843.